Doctor Who_ The Devil Goblins From Neptune - Keith Topping [42]
Hayes was waiting for him when the Brigadier arrived and stood to greet his old protégé with a friendly handshake and bland questions about shared acquaintances. They sat and began to talk about Aden, and the Yetis in the Underground. Then Hayes snapped his head around to check that they weren't being observed.
'What's it all about, then?' he asked quickly.
'I have concerns. I'm worried about UNIT's internal security.'
'Aren't we all, old man?'
Strangely, despite their many years together, the Brigadier felt unable to entirely confide in Hayes. But vague questions were only going to get vague answers, so he plunged in with both feet. 'Some... information has come into my possession that leads me to, well, perhaps "suspect" is too strong a word...'
'Spit it out, man,' said Hayes harshly.
'Very well. I have specific reason to believe that Geneva HQ has been compromised.
Lethbridge-Stewart sat back, a huge weight having lifted from his shoulders. He waited for the expected reply from Hayes that this was a ridiculous suggestion and, anyway, what evidence did this jumped-up junior officer have to cast aspersions on the integrity of the dedicated men and women of UNIT? But it didn't come.
'We all run the risk of cuckoos in the nest, don't we, Alistair?' said Hayes, standing and picking up his gloves. 'I expect we shall have cause to speak of this again. Enjoy your holiday, old man'
The journey seemed to last forever, and Liz found it increasingly difficult to get comfortable in her seat. After the briefing, Shuskin had handed out various documents and hard-copy photographs, which Liz had glanced at but could make little sense of. Indeed, she was feeling increasingly out of her depth. The comparative speed with which she had been whisked from Cambridge to East Germany and beyond hadn't helped, but really it came down to a growing realisation that this was a purely military problem. And she hadn't become a scientist to help soldiers fight wars with nastier toys than they'd had before.
Of course, she was concerned by the deaths of the soldiers, and the potential threat posed by this mysterious construction site, but it seemed to Liz that this 'mission' was little more than an excuse to watch the Soviets throw increasing amounts of military hardware at what seemed to be an unknowable and deadly alien threat. And she was surprised that the Doctor seemed to be involving himself at that level, discussing military matters with Shuskin towards the rear of the AWACS plane.
Anyway, what could Liz do? She was adaptable, and learnt quickly - it surprised and somewhat depressed her how swiftly she'd picked up the jargon and even the hardware specs of much of the British army - but she wasn't sure how much help she'd be to the Doctor over the coming days. She turned to him as he returned to his seat.
'Why did you ask me to come, Doctor?'
'Two heads are almost always better than one, Liz.'
'But this...' She indicated the craft interior, the officers who worked at the various screens, the accompanying MiGs just visible through the windows. 'It's all so "Come outside if you think you're hard enough."'
'I know,' said the Doctor. 'I'm very aware of the military mind, its predictable response to alien aggression. Just think for a moment. What will the Soviets do if they can't sort this problem out fairly swiftly?'
Liz paused, deep in thought. 'You can't mean...' she said at last.
The Doctor nodded. 'A nuclear strike has already been discussed. It's not an option the military and civil leaders will put off using for much longer.'
Liz gulped. 'But the damage, the fallout... If the